Rotary can washer



6, 1940. N, PETERS 2,189,451

ROTARY CAN WASHER Filed Nov. 9, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I.

\ HOT WASH I unom STEAM LOAD A ND .UNLOAD' iNVENTOR Feb. 6, 1.940. N. J. PETERS ROTARY CAN WASHER Filed Nov. 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 ZilELJW INVENTOR Qwawu v 751% ATTORNEYS Filed Nov. 9, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 8 1 M, mfl/ I M m a, m M w/W M $0 .H m w l 4 2 4 3 w m F 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1940 PATENT OFFICE ROTARY can WASHER NormanJ. Peters, Fond du Lac, Wls., assignor to Damrow Brothers Company, Fond du Lac, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application November 9, 1938, Serial No. 239,627

3 Claims.

it is also well known to operate the valves for controlling the washing or rinsing fluid as the carrier moves into its different operating positions. One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved mechanism for automatically controlling the fluid control valves which is of simple construction and has the particular. advantage in that it may be used in connection with difierent sizes and weights of cans without the use of special attachments. to A further object of the invention is to associate can support which acts in conjunction with the valve controlling lever to prevent as little escape as possible of steam from the mouth of the can during the steaming operation.

features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a, horizontal sectional view through a rotary washing machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 2-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view taken on th line 3--3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view taken on the I line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

, Fig 5 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view through the valve shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a detailed view of one of the double valve arrangements.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 6 desig- -nates a cylindrical metal outer shell having a top I mounted thereon to form a casing or housing and extending into the upstanding flange 8 of a bottom section having a sloping bottom 9. The casing structure thus provided is preferably formed in half sections which are secured together by bolts Ill. The casing has an opening I I formed therein for loading and unloading cans and covers onto and from a rotatable carrier, a drip pan l2 being reniovably secured to said casing at the bottom of said opening.

with the steaming stage a closure plate for the The invention further consists in the several The carrier includes a vertically disposed shaft I3 centrally mounted in said casing and having a plurality of radially disposed partitions l4 secured thereto, said partitions having can supports l5 slidably mounted on angled brackets 5 l6 secured to said partitions. Can cover supports l1 are detachably mounted on plates l8 welded or otherwise suitably secured to said partitions H. The shaft I3 extends down into the bottom section and is there connected up with any suitable prime mover through drive connections, such as a Geneva tooth gearing or other suitable mechanism for imparting a step by step rotary movement to said shaft l3, so that the carrier 1 with the cans A and covers B is advanced through the various treating stations which are indicated Y in Fig. l as Prerinse, Solution, Hot wash, Steam, and Dry. At each of these stations one or more valves controlling a treating fluid is opened automatically by the carrier as it moves into treating position and closed as it moves out of treating position. While in the prerinse and hot was positions two valves are controlled, there is one actuator for both valves, and since the actuators in each instance are similarly operated, a detailed description of one will suflice, and in 'this' connection we have shown in detail the actuator and valve mechanism for the steaming treatment'of the can, whichwill now bedescribed. g

A trip lever is is pivotally mounted at 20 intermediate its ends on each can support I 4 to project upwardly above said support and swings down into a groove 2| provided in its support, the lower end of said lever being of a size to substantially fill the end of said groove and project beyond the same to provide a support for a roller 22. With this arrangement when the can is placed on 'the support, the lever is folded or swung down beneath the neck of the can as shown in Fig. 5, the upper end of said lever swinging inwardly toward the shaft of the carrier.

With the trip lever in a-depressed position, the movement of the carrier brings the roller 22 of said lever into engagement with the valve operat- 45 I ing lever 23'which is pivotally mounted on a pin 24 carried by a bracket 25 suitably mounted on the casing bottom 9.

The bracket 25 is secured to the valve casing 26 having a valve 21, shown in detail in Fig. 6,

mounted therein controlling the passage of steam to a pipe 28 which is provided with a. spray nozzle 29 which is adapted to deliver steam upwardly through the opening 30 in the plate l5 into the can A which rests in inverted position 56 spring pressed upwardly against'the underside o! the support I! and acts to close 01! the openings 34 in said support. The plate 33 has a collar welded or otherwise secured thereto and moved upwardly by the spring 36 which seats on a flange 31 on the pipe 23, said plate being limited in its upward movement by bolts 33 whose shanks extend loosely through said collar. Either the support or the plate may have a bevelled edge so as to cam said plate 32 downwardly as said support moves to its difierent treating positions; As shown, the support I 5 has bevelled ends 39, and the plate has bevelled ends 40.

Thus with the present arrangement as each can is carried by its support I! over the steam nozzle 29, the plate 33 is depressed against the action of the spring 36 and moves up against the support i5, and at the same time the lever i3, held down by the can, engages by its roller 22 with the lever 23 which isthen moved down and acts to move the valve 2'! inwardly to open the same and thus admit steam into the nozzle 29. During the dwell peiiod oi the carrier the steam stays on, and then as the carrier again moves to advance the can to the next station,

the roller 22 moves out of engagement with the lever 23, and the spring 3| closes the va1ve, and at the same time the plate 33 slides 03 the support I I. I

It will be noted that in the hot wash and prerinse stations there are two valve mechanisms provided, but both are operate'd by a common lever 23which operates one of the valves in the same way as that described in connection with the steam valve and is operatively connected above its pivot with the second valve by a link 3 and a lever 44, as shown more particularly in Fig. 7, so that when the lever 23 is operated, the lever 44 will also be operated.

It will be noted that the use of the lever IS in conjunction with the steam plate 33 prevents a too quick escape of steam from the can while the steam valve is open, and it is also to be noted, because 01' the type of lever I! used and its mounting on the plate II, that any sized can may be used in the machine so long as its weight is sufllcient to hold down the lever.

I desi"'= it to be understood that this inven-' tion is not to be limited to any particular form 1. In a can washing machine of the type described. the combination of a casing, a carrier rotatable in said casing to diflerent treating statio'ns therein, a valve for controlling the delivery of steam to the can at one of said stations,

and means for automatically operating said'valve comprising a trip lever pivotally mounted on said carrier and held in operative position by thecan on said carrier, means engaged bysaid lever for operating said valve, said carrier being provided with a grill forming passages communicable with the interior oi a can mounted thereon in inverted position and provided with a groove communicating with one of. said passages and adapted to receive said lever, a steam discharge nozzle controlled by said valvejand delivering steam through, one of said passages in the carrier, and a plate movable to close oil those passages not aligned with said nozzle when said steam valve is open, said lever acting to prevent the ready escape of steam from said grill through said groove.

2. In a can washing machine of the type described, the combination of a casing, a carrier rotatable in said casing to different treating stations therein, said carrier having a plurality of can supports, a valve for controlling the delivery of treating fluid at one ofsaid stations, each oi said can supports having a groove, a lever intermediately pivotally mounted on each can support and adapted to have its upper end swung down into said groove by a can placedon said support tobring its other end to a valve operating position, and a valve operating lever acting to swing said other end of said lever on said carrier upwardly to move the said upper end of said first named lever against said can support to permit said first named lever acting as a fixed member and independent of the can to move said valve lever to operate said valve as said carrier moves into and out 01' the treating station provided with said valve.

3. In a can washing machine of the rotary type,

the combination of a casing, a. carrier rotatable in said casing to diiferent treating stations there- 'in and including a plurality 01' can supports having openings therein, a steam nozzle at one of said stations, a plate slidably mounted relative to said nozzle, means for normally urging said plate upwardly against a can support when said support is positioned over said nozzle, a valve controlling the supply of steam to said nozzle, and means for controlling said valve including a member mounted on each of said supports and having its position controlled by the can.

NORMAN .1. Farms. 

